An electromagnetic launcher basically consists of a power supply, and two or more generally parallel electrically conductive rails between which is positioned an electrically conducting armature or projectile. Current from the power supply flows down one rail, through the armature or projectile and back along the other rail whereby a force is exerted on the armature or projectile. This effect is well known to those skilled in the art and is reflected in numerous United States patents. The traditional electromagnetic railgun design, based on conducting parallel rails which form the bore of the accelerator, are described in the following patents: U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,183,956 to G. Rosenburg; 5,155,290 to R. Hawke; 5,133,241 to K. Koyama et al; 5,127,308 to J. Thompson et al; 5,081,901 to G. Kemeny et al; 5,078,042 to D. Jensen; 5,076,136 to E. Aivaliotis et al; 4,934,243 to A. Mitcham et al; and 4,858,511 and 4,760,769 to L. Jasper.
With the exception of patent no. 4,760,769 to Jasper, electromagnetic railgun construction includes one or two sets of parallel, electrically conducting rails. The conducting rails are separated by insulating materials which, combined, are fit together to form a gun barrel assembly used to accelerate projectiles in one direction. The Jasper patent teaches two parallel disks with gaps in their peripheries which are used to convey electrical current. A voltage source is applied to the disks to cause current to flow in opposite directions, generating a repulsive force to eject a projectile. This device depends on a rotator assembly positioned concentrically with the disks to control the timing of the repulsive action and to facilitate reloading. Additionally, projectiles are launched from a fixed cylindrical barrel that is attached to one of the disks.
Devices designed like the Jaspar apparatus are constrained to launch projectiles along the longitudinal axis defined by sets of parallel rails. Additionally, railgun designs typically include insulating material between the conducting rails. These conducting and insulating materials are strapped together in a cylindrical manner to form a railgun barrel, and undergo significant wear every launch from induced magnetic stresses and confined plasma pressures. Unfortunately, insulating materials are somewhat less resilient than electrically conducting materials, and are often the first to mechanically fail in this type of design.
The present invention overcomes these limitations by obviating the need for static rail structures by including electrically conducting parallel plates, and by utilizing insulating material for plate isolation in a non-confining design. The present invention has no railgun barrel, thus minimizing plasma or projectile pressure-related concerns on insulating structures.
The present invention is simpler than the Jasper apparatus in that no concentric rotator assembly is required for repulsive action timing or to facilitate projectile reloading. The present invention is symmetrical with respect to the longitudinal axis defined by the symmetrical support base, and requires no moving parts other than a mechanical means to convey projectiles into the firing position concentrically located between the two plates.